Artist{40 s easel

ABSTRACT

An easel frame extends upwardly from the front of a base and carries a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails that extend up and down the frame. Extending across the front of the rails is a picture-supporting shelf supported by parallel bars extending along the sides of the rails. Releasable fastening members extend through these bars and through longitudinal slots in the rails for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level so that the shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails. A clamp for the top of a picture is adjustable up and down another pair of rails between the first pair.

United States Patent min [111 3,809,354 Phifer May 7, 1974 ARTIST'S EASEL [76] Inventor: William M. Phifer, 5522 Centre Pr'mary Exammer wllham Schultz Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15232 .Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Brown, Murray, Flick &

Peckham 57 ABSTRACT for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level so that the shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails. A clamp for the top of a picture is adjustable up and down another pair of rails between the first pair.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 7:914 3809354 SHEET 4 OF 4 ARTISTS EASEL It is among the objects of this invention to provide an artists easel which is capable of supporting pictures of considerable weight in vertical or inclined positions, which is large and heavy and yet easy to move around and store, and in which the picture-holding means are readily adjustable up and down the easel.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front view, with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side view;

FIG. 3 is a plan view;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged horizontal sections taken on the lines IV--IV and V-V, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view of the ea- Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, an easel base 1 is formed preferably in the shape of a triangle, with one side of the triangle forming the front of the base and the other two sides converging rearwardly. The corner portions of this base are provided with casters 2 or other suitable wheels or rollers so that it can be moved across a floor without any trouble. Connected to the front of the base by hinges 3 is the bottom of a tall frame 4 that extends upwardly from the base. This frame also preferably is triangular with its sides converging upwardly and connected near their upper ends by a cross member 5.

In order to support easel frame 4 in either an upright or somewhat inclined position, supporting means are hinged to cross member 5 and to the back of base 1. The supporting means include an inclined V-shape strut having downwardly converging side members 7, the upper ends of which are connected by hinges 8 to the cross member. This strut extends down toward the back of the base, where it is overlapped by an inclined bar 9 that is connected by a hinge 10 to the base. Preferably, the lower end portion of the strut is provided with a longitudinal slot that receives the bar. The lower wall of the slot is formed by a plate 12 fastened to the side members of the strut, and the sides of the slot are formed by a pair of laterally spaced strips 13 that hold the bar in alignment with the strut. The plate is provided with a pair of holes 14 spaced lengthwise of the strut and up through which extend bolts 15 that also extend through a longitudinal slot 16 in bar 9. Thumb nuts 17 on the upper ends of the bolts clamp the bar against the strut, but when the nuts are loosened the strut can be adjusted lengthwise of the bar to vary the angle between the easel frame and the base.

Supported by the front of the easel frame is a pair of spaced parallel rails 20, the upper ends of which are secured to the side members of the frame near their upper ends. The lower ends of the rails are secured to the bottom of the frame. These rails are located equal distances from opposite sides of the vertical center line of the frame. Each rail has a slot 21 FIGS. 2 and 4) extending laterally through it and also lengthwise of the rail for a considerable distance. Extending along one side of the rails, preferably the inside, and in engagement with them is a pair of short bars 22. These bars normally are clamped against the rails by means of fastening members extending through the slots in the rails and through holes in the bars. Each fastening member preferably is a bolt 23 provided with a thumb nut 24, whereby a bar and rail can be clamped between the nut and the head of the bolt. The two bars support a shelf 26 that extends across the front of the rails and forward from them. The purpose of this shelf is to support a picture, or a canvas or the like to be painted, either framed or unframed as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1. Rigidly connected to the rear edge of the shelf is the upper edge of a back panel 27 that is attached by screws 28 to the two bars, whereby the shelf is supported from the rails by means of the bars. A utility shelf 29 may be spaced below the picture-supporting shelf by fastening the bottomof the back panel to the rear edge of the utility shelf and also securing end panels 30 to the ends of the two shelves. This leaves the utility shelf open only at its front edge so that paints, brushes and other artist equipment can be placed on it safely.

Midway between rails 20 there is a center pair of parallel rails 32 attached to the upper and lower ends of the easel frame. Vertically adjustable along these rails is a picture clamp for the top of a picture mounted on the shelf. This picture clamp includes a panel 33 extending across the front of the rails, with vertical end bars 34 projecting from its front and extending down below it. An upper cross bar 35 extends between the upper ends of these end bars, and a lower cross bar 36 extends between their lower ends. The back of panel 33 supports vertical bars 37 that engage the outer surfaces of the two rails 32, whereby the clamp straddles the rails as shown best in FIG. 5. The upper cross bar is clamped against the rails by a bolt 38 extending through it and supporting a thumb nut 39 on its front end. The bolt extends back between the rails and through a slide 40 and washer 41 engaging the back of the rails. Preferably, the rails have rearwardly extending side flanges, between which the slide is disposed.

Secured to the lower cross bar 36 of the picture clamp is a horizontal bar 43, the front of which is hinged to the front of a horizontal bar 44 directly below it by means of hinges 45, as shown in FIG. 6. Secured to the front of this lower bar 44 are one or more retaining members 46 that extend below it to overlap the front of the top of a picture resting against the easel. If

' the thickness of the picture is such that it will not fit between the retaining members and the easel frame, the lower bar 44 is swung forward and up to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 6. In this position the front edge of the bar is provided with a downwardly extending rib 47 that will overlap the top of the picture. The distance from this rib to the easel frame is nearly twice the distance from the easel frame to the retaining members when they are in their downwardly projecting position. The picture clamp can be adjusted up and down the inner rails by first loosening the thumb nut 39 and then sliding the clamp up or down the rails as required before tightening the nut again.

' As a further support for shelves 26 and 29, a clamping member 50 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 may be disposed against the back of the center rails behind back panel 27, with a bolt 51 extending through this member and forward through the panel and a washer 52 clamped against the front of the panel by a thumb nut 53 on the bolt. By tightening this nut, the panel will be clamped against the center rails.

When it is desired to store the easel or to merely place it in a location where it will take as little .space as necessary, it can be folded flat. This is done by removing the bolts that connect strut 7 and overlapping bar 9 together, whereby the strut can be swung forward into a vertical position between the side members of the easel frame. The base 1 then is swung upwardly against the back of the strut while the free end of bar 9 is guided over the strut plate 12 and down in front of it. The result is a very compact folded easel as shown in FIG. 8. If desired, the shelves and the top picture clamp can be removed from the easel frame and stored separately.

The easel disclosed herein is strong and rugged and yet it can readily be folded into a substantially flat condition when desired. It also is fully and easily adjustable for holding pictures of different sizes at different heights and at different inclinations.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the' scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

1. An artists easel comprising a base having a front and aback, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, -a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and extending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of the rail, a picturesupporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails, a second pair of laterally spaced rails secured to said frame between the first pair and parallel thereto, and a picture clamp adjustable up and down the second pair of rails and provided with means for overlapping the front of the top of a picture resting on said shelf.

2. An artists easel according to claim 1, in which said picture clamp includes a slide engaging the front and sides of the second pair of rails, a clamping member engaging the backs of the second pair of rails, and a releasable fastening member extending through said clamping member and forward between the adjoining rails and through said slide for clamping the slide against the second pair of rails.

3. An artists easel according to claim 1, in which said picture clamp includes a slide engaging the front and sides of the second pair of rails, a cross bar beneath the slide, means hinging the front of the cross bar to the front of the slide on a horizontal axis, retaining means extending downward from the front of said bar for overlapping the front of the top of a picture resting on said shelf, and the back of said bar being provided with an upwardly projecting rib, said bar being swingable on said hinging means out to a position in front of the slide with said rib extending downwardly for holding a picture resting on said shelf.

4. An artists easel comprising a base having a front and a back, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, means hinging the bottom of said frame to the front of the base on a horizontal axis, an inclined strut behind the frame hinged at its upper end to the frame, an inclined bar overlapping the lower end portion of the strut and hinged at its lower end to the back of said base, releasable means clamping the bar and strut together in different relative longitudinal po-' sitions to permit the combined length of said inclined strut and bar to be adjusted, whereby to adjust the angle between said frame and base, a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and extending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of'the rail, a picturesupporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, and releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails.

5. An artists easel according to claim 4, in which said inclined strut is provided at its lower end with a longitudinal slot, said inclined bar is disposed in said strut slot and provided with a longitudinal slot, and said'releasable means are fastening members mounted in said strut and extending through said bar slot.

6. An artists easel according to claim 5, in which said fastening members are removable and said strut is then foldable down into the frame, said inclined bar is foldable down upon the base, and the base is foldable u against the folded strut.

7. An artists easel according to claim 4, including a utility shelf spaced below said picture-supporting shelf and connected to said back panel, and end panels at the ends of the utility shelf connected to the two shelves and back panel.

8. An artists easel comprising a base having a front and a back, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and extending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of the rail, a picture supporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, a back panel connected to the back of said shelf, a second pair of laterally spaced rails secured to said frame between the first pair and parallel thereto, a clamping member engaging the backs of said second pair of rails, 21 releasable fastening member extending through said clamping member and forward between the second pair of rails and through said back panel for clamping the back panel against the second pair of rails, and releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails. 

1. An artist''s easel comprising a base having a front and a back, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and extending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of the rail, a picturesupporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails, a second pair of laterally spaced rails secured to said frame between the first pair and parallel thereto, and a picture clamp adjustable up and down the second pair of rails and provided with means for overlapping the front of the top of a picture resting on said shelf.
 2. An artist''s easel according to claim 1, in which said picture clamp includes a slide engaging the front and sides of the second pair of rails, a clamping member engaging the backs of the second pair of rails, and a releasable fastening member extending through said clamping member and forward between the adjoining rails and through said slide for clamping the slide against the second pair of rails.
 3. An artist''s easel according to claim 1, in which said picture clamp includes a slide engaging the front and sides of the second pair of rails, a cross bar beneath the slide, means hinging the front of the cross bar to the front of the slide on a horizontal axis, retaining means extending downward from the front of said bar for overlapping the front of the top of a picture resting on said shelf, and the back of said bar being provided with an upwardly projecting rib, said bar being swingable on said hinging means out to a position in front of the slide with said rib extending downwardly for holding a picture resting on said shelf.
 4. An artist''s easel comprising a base having a front and a back, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, means hinging the bottom of said frame to the front of the base on a horizontal axis, an inclined strut behind the frame hinged at its upper end to the frame, an inclined bar overlapping the lower end portion of the strut and hinged at its lower end to the back of said base, releasable means clamping the bar and strut together in different relative longitudinal positions to permit the combined length of said inclined strut and bar to be adjusted, whereby to adjust the angle between said frame and base, a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and exTending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of the rail, a picture-supporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, and releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails.
 5. An artist''s easel according to claim 4, in which said inclined strut is provided at its lower end with a longitudinal slot, said inclined bar is disposed in said strut slot and provided with a longitudinal slot, and said releasable means are fastening members mounted in said strut and extending through said bar slot.
 6. An artist''s easel according to claim 5, in which said fastening members are removable and said strut is then foldable down into the frame, said inclined bar is foldable down upon the base, and the base is foldable up against the folded strut.
 7. An artist''s easel according to claim 4, including a utility shelf spaced below said picture-supporting shelf and connected to said back panel, and end panels at the ends of the utility shelf connected to the two shelves and back panel.
 8. An artist''s easel comprising a base having a front and a back, a frame extending upwardly above the front of the base, a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails secured to the frame and extending up and down thereon, each rail having a slot extending laterally through it and lengthwise of the rail, a picture-supporting shelf extending across the front of said rails and forward therefrom, parallel shelf-supporting bars extending from the shelf along the sides of the rails in engagement with them, a back panel connected to the back of said shelf, a second pair of laterally spaced rails secured to said frame between the first pair and parallel thereto, a clamping member engaging the backs of said second pair of rails, a releasable fastening member extending through said clamping member and forward between the second pair of rails and through said back panel for clamping the back panel against the second pair of rails, and releasable fastening members extending through the rail slots and said bars for clamping the bars to the rails at any desired level, whereby said shelf can be adjusted up and down the rails. 